If Things Were Different
by SSLordAoshi
Summary: Kenshin is dead, Shishio has returned. What now?
1. Default Chapter

~~Chapter One~~  
  
Shinimori Aoshi was delivering a message for the battousai and Saitoh. As he walked along the forest path he thought to himself, what if we can't defeat him? What if even the legendary Hitokiri Battousai is not strong enough? Must he take back his vow and kill him?  
  
Out loud he said to himself "I must defeat him." He knew in the back of his mind this was true. Kenshin, the Battousai, would surely be killed by his foolish promises.  
  
He was beginning to sweat as he began to draw near to Tokyo. He came alone, leaving Misao and everyone else in Kyoto, possibly in mortal danger of Him. Yet still Misao angered him by treating him as though he was a mere messenger boy. Yes, she was the leader of the Oni Wabanshu now, but a bad one, leaving her group in mortal danger.  
  
As soon as he reached Tokyo he stopped at a small café for some tea, he was intolerant to alcohol. And when he finished drinking his tea he asked the waitress if she knew were the Kamiya-Kasshin-Ryu dojo.  
  
Luckily, the Jupen-Gattina group was destroyed, so that should buy them some time. Aoshi was nearing dojo. As he got there the two little girls, the granddaughters of the doctor, came running out.  
  
"Hi," they said and ran off.  
  
They returned hiding behind Kaoru.  
  
"What are you doing here Aoshi? The last we heard of you, you were putting Misao in charge of the Oni Wabanshu."  
  
"I am here to do nothing but deliver a message to Kenshin. Is he in?"  
  
"No, he's out buying tofu. What is it you need to tell him?"  
  
"Shishio, he has returned. I knew we should have killed him."  
  
"Come in and sit so we can wait for him to return."  
  
"I can't, is Sonno in?"  
  
"He's in the back with Yahiko."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." Aoshi said as he walked around the house. He now saw Sonno and Yahiko. Sonno was testing a punching bag, which all the sand fell out of when he hit it using his Futae oki wani, and Yahiko was practicing the Kamiya-Kasshin style on a plank tied to a tree.  
  
"Sonno, I'm going to need your help," Aoshi said to him.  
  
"With what?" Sonno asked in reply.  
  
"Shishio wasn't killed, we must defeat him once again."  
  
"What? Is he really back?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. Kenshin is out, I'm sure you already know that, do you know where Saito might be?"  
  
"He's got a job in the police force, I think, we should be able to find him at the station, or at least ask when his shift is." And I can scam some free meals he thought.  
  
"Good, I don't know where the police station is here in Tokyo, so you'll have to lead."  
  
Instead of leading Aoshi to the police station he took him to the sushi bar.  
  
"If this is the station I will hang myself. I've already eaten and I don't feel like paying for you.  
  
Damn it! Sonno thought.  
  
"Now please, take me to the local police station"  
  
"Alright, your smarter than Kenshin."  
  
"No, Kenshin is just too generous."  
  
Now they walked through a thick crowd. Crowds. Crowds seemed especially thick in Tokyo. Now they reached the police station. As they entered Sonno did the talking (Aoshi never felt like talking).  
  
"We're looking for Saito Hajime. Is he here?"  
  
"No, he's patrolling streets," the officer said, briefly looking up from his writing.  
  
"Give him this message: Aoshi Shinimori and Sonosuke Sagara are looking for him. Meet them at the Kamiya-Kasshin dojo."  
  
"Alright," he said in reply, this time not even looking up from his writing.  
  
After they walked out Sonno had but one thing to say," now that Saito is patrolling and Kenshin is getting tofu," he said in his normal tone," can we get something to eat???"  
  
Aoshi barely laughed, "sure, somewhere cheap."  
  
"Awww.Fine, to the café!"  
  
After they had eaten they returned to the dojo. Kenshin was there now.  
  
"Kenshin, I have a very important message." Aoshi said.  
  
"What is it?" there was a sense of urgency in his voice.  
  
"Shishio's not dead, you should have turned your blade and killed him."  
  
"I couldn't, not without going back on my vow, would that make me any better than I was during the revolution?"  
  
"No, but you could have saved Ja-(Saito walked in)-pan."  
  
"What's this about saving Japan?" Saito asked. 


	2. Chapter 002

~~Chapter 002~~ After a very long explanation and a little arguing they began the journey to Kyoto. Saito didn't understand why he had to come; they did have the legendary Battosaii with them. They went to where they last saw Shishio and found him there. "Didn't you die?" Saito asked rudely. "Shouldn't you be just a bit more polite?" Shishio replied. "Shouldn't you be in the underworld?" "Perhaps, it's a miracle I did survive." "How did you survive?" Kenshin asked. "I'm not quite sure, I remember passing out and burning from the inside. Then a strange man -perhaps sixteen years of age- helped me to get back to health, he gave me some shots and said they were to regrow my sweat glands now I will be undefeatable. Mwahahahahahahahaha!!!" His bandages were off and his skin was normal, yet somehow he was the same. "Try to defeat me now Kenshin!!!" "I do not wish to fight, just as before" Kenshin said, bewildered of what the fire meant. "You know you cannot defeat me now!" "Fine I will fight you." "Kenshin no-" Aoshi was interrupted by Kenshin. "I must fight him." "Kenshin! He was nearly immortal before, well, maybe, he is immortal. However, you must not hold back! You must use the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki if you wish to fight! You MUST NOT hold back! You must kill him!" 


End file.
